These are the 10 best states for pedestrians

An example of a "complete street." You can see the large sidewalk, and protected bike lane on the inside of the parked cars.38607288@N03/Flickr
In the late 1970s, about 8,000 pedestrians died in auto accidents every year.

In 2014, that number dropped to 5,500, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Part of this decrease is likely linked to local governments implementing "complete streets" legislation that designs roads with drivers, bikers, and pedestrians in mind.

But most American roads are still geared toward cars first and foremost, treating pedestrian use as a secondary need.

The Auto Insurance Center, a car insurance education organization, ranked the states based on the number of pedestrian deaths in 2014 per 100,000 residents. This doesn't factor in the total number of pedestrians in each state, which is more difficult to measure, but offers a rough approximation of which states are the safest for people traveling on foot.

Scroll down to see the 10 best states to be a pedestrian. You can find the full list of all 50 (plus DC) at the end of the post.

Here's the Auto Insurance Center's map showing all of the states' pedestrian fatality rates, with lower rates in green and higher rates in red:

And here is data they shared with Tech Insider on all 50 states (plus DC), ranked from the lowest rate of pedestrian fatalities to the highest. New Mexico is the most dangerous place to get around on foot.